When Chris Shepherd learned his good friend and former sommelier Antonio Gianola had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his first reaction was to “throw a huge party and raise a ton of money.” He turned Underbelly, Hay Merchant and Blacksmith into a huge street party and with the help of his friends in Houston and beyond, raised $184,000 for the MS Society. In two years, Southern Smoke has raised nearly $500,000, and he plans to raise even more this year.

“Houston is an incredibly generous city and helped us almost double our fundraising goal last year,” said Chris, “This year, with this incredible group of talented cooks, the goal is even higher. I can’t think of better people to help me honor Antonio and do what we can to fight this disease that has taken such a toll on our industry.”